A judge who could lose his job over online casino betting conceded the allegations against him as his impeachment trial opened in Tokyo. Akifumi Morimoto, 52, of the Niigata Summary Court, told the Judge Impeachment Court on October 28, 2026 that the charges were accurate, according to Jiji Press, as carried by Nippon.com.

The hearing marks the last phase of a case that started with an indictment in April. Morimoto stands accused of habitual gambling on a casino website and of embezzling fees paid by a housing complex. The court will rule on whether he stays on the bench. No date for that decision has been set.

What The Judge Told The Court

Morimoto offered a deep apology, saying his own foolish behavior had damaged the public's faith in the courts. The Judge Indictment Committee, which prosecutes impeachment cases, told the court he turned to online casinos to fund foreign exchange margin trading. According to the committee, he placed over 60,000 bets across six months, some of them on the clock.

With the charges uncontested, the hearing wrapped up in one day. Jiji Press has reported that the Indictment Committee sees dismissal as the right outcome.

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How The Case Reached Impeachment

The Akita District Public Prosecutors Office indicted Morimoto without arrest on April 17. Prosecutors said that between April and September 2023, while he lived in Akita Prefecture, he visited an online casino site more than 60,000 times from his phone and tablet and played games that included baccarat. On May 13, Japan's Supreme Court asked the parliamentary indictment committee to seek his removal, describing his conduct as behavior that undermined the dignity of judges, The Japan Times reported.

Prosecutors also accused him of embezzling roughly 2.78 million yen in fees collected by a management association for a public-employee housing complex, covering 2023 to 2025. He admitted the charges at the Akita District Court in June, where prosecutors sought a three-year prison term.

In July the court handed him a suspended prison sentence for habitual gambling and other offenses. That conviction became final, clearing the path to impeachment.

Why It Matters For Online Gambling In Japan

Online casino play is still illegal in Japan, and cases like this one show that ordinary players can face criminal charges for using offshore sites. Morimoto's case stands out because a sitting judge is involved. It follows the September 2025 prosecution of a former Fuji Television manager, who admitted habitual online gambling at his first hearing in Tokyo, where prosecutors asked for a one-year sentence.

Elsewhere, the difference is stark. Players in markets that license online casinos can use operators that a regulator checks and that must follow player protection rules. Anyone concerned about their own gambling can turn to national helplines and the self-exclusion tools licensed operators provide.

The Judge Impeachment Court will set a verdict date later. Morimoto remains suspended from his duties while the court weighs its decision, and the ruling is the only step left in the case.

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Source: gambling.com